Schutz nude patent ‘Oyster’ pumps

Given the popularity of so-called “nude” shoes, and the amount of praise that’s lavished on their leg-lengthening, go-with-anything effect, you’d think they’d be the easiest shoes in the world to find, and that just about every retailer would have at least one perfect pair.

As often seems to be the case, however, the simplest things in life – or in fashion, rather – are often the hardest to find. I don’t know about you, but I have a far harder time tracking down so-called “classics” (The perfect blue jeans, the best-fitting black pencil skirt: that kind of thing…) than I ever do finding more unusual pieces, and so it is with nude pumps. Oh, there are lots of pairs of them out there: but not many of them are as nice as these ones by Schutz.

These ones are… well, “perfect” is probably too strong a word, but they’re pretty close. The colour is one that will work with a variety of different skin tones (I don’t think a “nude” shoe has to be an exact match for your skin tone: a lot of the time as long as it’s a neutral shade, it will still work), and the shape is simple and classic, with an almond toe which is neither too pointed nor toe round.

So, not quite perfect, but not too far off it either: not bad for £105!